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The first VR Headset from CES 2022 is the Lightweight, microOLED MeganeX

From vrfocus

CES 2022 officially starts tomorrow (5th Jan) holding both an in-person and online event – CES 2021 was purely online – showcasing the very latest gadgets and gizmos due to arrive over the next 12 months. Today sees the arrival of a new virtual reality (VR) headset from Japanese tech company Shiftall Inc. The MeganeX is an ultra-lightweight 5.2K device that’s SteamVR compatible and slated to arrive this Spring.

MeganeX

A subsidiary of Panasonic, up to now Shiftall is best known for the HaritoraX, a motion-tracking device compatible with SteamVR. The MeganeX takes those VR ambitions up a notch, promising a device that’s not only light but also packs 1.3inch OLED Microdisplays with a 2,560×2,560 per eye resolution at a 120Hz refresh rate. The displays come by way of the Kopin Corporation, which Panasonic previously partnered with for the VR Glasses shown at CES 2020 followed by an update the following year. In fact, MeganeX looks very similar albeit with those extra handles on the side.

Another feature that Kopin might be helping Shiftall with is the lenses. MeganeX features pancake lenses, optics designed to slim down headsets. Kopin revealed last year its latest all-plastic Pancake optics to further reduce weight. Shiftall says its device should weigh in at approximately 250g (8.8oz), slightly heavier than the Vive Flow which also utilises a pancake system.

With its glasses style design the MeganeX features a foldable frame with built-in speakers and because it supports SteamVR, the device has 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) head tracking. This is all powered by Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon XR1 platform – Meta Quest uses the XR2 platform for reference. It’ll also come with its own controller says Shiftall, although no further details were given regarding its capabilities.

Panasonic VR Glasses CES2021
Panasonic VR Glasses from CES 2021

MeganeX Specifications

  • Display – 1.3inch Micro OLED 5.2K (2,560×2,560 per eye) 10bit HDR/120Hz
  • Weight – Approx. 250g (8.8oz)
  • Tracking system – 6DoF, camera based inside-out head tracking
  • Platform – SteamVR and more (future update)
  • Connection – Display Port Alternate Mode on USB-C or Display Port + USB2.0

YouTuber and tech analyst Brad Lynch is at CES 2022 and got an early look at the prototype, offering some positive feedback on the new headset in the video below.

But there shouldn’t be too long to wait to see the final product in action as Shiftall has said the MeganeX will be released in Spring 2022 for under $900 USD – no details just yet on whether that’s worldwide or region-specific. For continued updates on the MeganeX and CES 2022 in general, keep reading VRFocus.

Panasonic Subsidiary Shiftall Unveils Lightweight MicroOLED VR Headset for Consumers

From roadtovr

Panasonic subsidiary Shiftall, the makers of SteamVR-compatible body tracking system HaritoraX, announced it’s releasing a lightweight consumer VR headset this year that includes OLED microdisplays and the ability to play SteamVR content. Called MeganeX, the low-profile, high-resolution headset is slated to launch sometime in Spring 2022, priced at around $900.

Unveiled at CES 2022, Shiftall’s MeganeX is said to include 1.3 inch OLED microdisplays which feature a 2,560 × 2,560 per-eye resolution, rated at 120Hz. The 6DOF headset features a foldable frame with built-in speakers, making for a compact package that weighs in at 250g, or around 8.8oz (without cable).

Pancake optics are included here too—a design element which Huawei and Pico have used in their respective prototype headsets, and which HTC has used to slim down its Vive Flow standalone headset.

Image courtesy Shiftall

Shiftall says MeganeX is focused on serving up SteamVR content, however it’s also said to include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR1 chipset—similar to Vive Flow. Here’s the full spec sheet Shiftall has shared so far:

  • Display: 1.3inch OLED microdisplay 5.2K (2,560 × 2,560 per eye), 10bit HDR / 120Hz
  • Weight: Approx. 250g (8.8oz) – Without cable
  • Processor: Snapdragon XR1 platform
  • Tracking system: 6DOF, camera based inside-out head tracking
  • Connection: DisplayPort Alternate Mode on USB-C or DisplayPort + USB2.0 – Connect with the interface conversion box (included in package)
  • Estimated Price: Less than $900

Tech analyst and YouTuber Brad Lynch (aka ‘SadlyItsBradley’) says in a hands-on at CES 2022 that both clarity and brightness are “actually pretty good,” and further correctly guessed at the inclusion of Kopin microdisplays. Shiftall says those are also Kopin-made pancake optics, in case you were wondering.

Lynch’s admittedly quick assessment on the show floor is encouraging to hear, as pancake optics typically present drawbacks when it comes to optical efficiency, requiring brighter displays to overcome disturbances caused by its polarized elements, which reflect light back and forth.

Both specs-wise and in physical appearance, Shiftall’s MeganeX feels very similar to Panasonic’s compact VR glasses revealed at a special event last year in Japan which coincided with the all-digital CES 2021. Those included Kopin microOLEDs providing a 2,560 × 2,560 per-eye resolution too.

One of the biggest missing pieces is field of view (FOV) however. Kopin says in a prior announcement for its first all-plastic ‘P95’ pancake optics, that when paired with its own Kopin’s 1.3 inch 2,560 × 2,560 microOLED it can provide around a 95-degree FOV.

Acquired by Panasonic in 2018, Shiftall focuses primarily on niche consumer devices, many of which feel like contenders for SkyMall. Its IMU-based body tracking system, HaritoraX, has been on the Japanese market for some time now though, which better positioned the company to dive deeper into the world of XR hardware development. Besides MeganeX, Shiftall is bringing two more immersion gadgets to global markets with the help of parent company Panasonic this year.

Alongside MeganeX, Shiftall also announced Pebble Feel, a wearable body cooling and heating device worn on your back, and Mutalk, a microphone that’s supposed to suppress outside noise as well as muffle the user’s own speech to those nearby in their physical space—both ideal candidates for VRChat, NeosVR or any other fairly open social VR app that supports niche hardware such as haptic vests. Both Pebble Feel and Mutalk are slated to launch in 2022, both priced at “around $200”.